History in schools:
learning from the past, preparing for the future
Michael Maddison HMI
National Lead for History, England
SHP HA BM Primary History Conference
29 March 2014
Outline
History in schools:
learning from the past, preparing for the future
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What do we know about the effectiveness of history in schools?
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What does inspection tell us are the components and characteristics
of highly effective history?
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What do we need to think about as we plan for the future?
National scene: What do we know
about the effectiveness of history in
primary schools?
Overview: a mixed picture – a successful
subject in school but under pressure and
some significant aspects in need of
improvement
Early Years – in the best settings ..
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children made good progress in understanding the passage of time
and how things change over time
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children listened to stories that introduced people from the
past
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teachers provided numerous opportunities for the children to use the
correct language, such as ‘yesterday’ and ‘past’, and look at the
differences between ‘long ago’ and ‘now’.
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As a result, children became more confident in:
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asking questions about artefacts
suggesting what they might be used for
making accurate comparisons between modern and old
objects.
By the end of Key Stage 1 –
in the best lessons ..
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pupils were able to recount stories accurately and to suggest why
people and events were important.
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they had a good understanding of the importance of basing their
ideas on evidence.
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they were provided with opportunities to handle artefacts, ask
questions about them and consider how they might also find out the
answers.
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in effect, they were developing those vital historical skills of:
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investigating
hypothesising
questioning.
As a result, they could reflect on the significance of what they
had learnt and could be thoughtful and perceptive in their thinking.
By the end of Key Stage 2 –
in the best lessons pupils ..
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could evaluate a range of historical sources
make perceptive deductions about the reliability of sources
had gained an understanding of change and continuity
understood the significance of people in a wider historical context
could identify anachronism
were aware of different views about the events they had studied
used historical terms accurately
could make pertinent and valid comparisons between periods.
‘Well, it depends if you were rich or poor’ (Year 4)
Primary successes
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Pupils’ attitudes to history were good or better – they
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enjoyed their lessons
regarded history as fun
were well motivated
were determined to learn something new and to succeed.
Where history was thriving, pupils were
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developing a good knowledge of historical topics
acquiring a detailed understanding of the past
developing their historical thinking by learning to and refining
the way they:
 research evidence and ask questions
 draw conclusions and communicate findings.
Primary Concerns
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Pupils’ knowledge is episodic
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Pupils’ ability to make links across the
knowledge they have gained is weak
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Teaching has become increasingly
variable
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Pupils appear to be studying less
history
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In some schools the growth of a
cross-curricular framework is diluting
the subject’s identity
The KS2 curriculum is episodic
Pupils’ chronological understanding is
increasingly variable
Actions for you:
 Focus on developing pupils’
chronological understanding
 develop closer links with
your neighbouring primary
and secondary schools
The lessons of inspection
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Historical knowledge is important
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The most effective subject pedagogy, ensuring high achievement in history,
was shown by teachers whose approach focused on well-structured
enquiry, which helped pupils think for themselves
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The best learning in history took place when the teaching developed
pupils’ historical knowledge and historical thinking and, as a result,
enabled them to show their historical understanding
In the last three years, teaching in history has become more variable
Too many pupils’ chronological understanding is not good
Pupils have better knowledge and make better progress when
history is taught as a discrete subject, with links made to other
subjects as appropriate
How can we improve history in
primary schools?
Improving pupils’ chronological understanding
On a recent inspection, an inspector observed the
following:

Above the whiteboard in the Year 4 classroom was a
timeline. It consisted of a series of coloured pictures
showing various events, about ten in all, from the ‘age of
the dinosaurs’ to the forthcoming ‘World Cup’. Each event
sheet was of the same size and each had a single date on it.
The events were evenly spread. As a result, the pictures
showing the ‘age of the dinosaurs’, ‘the birth of Christ’, ‘the
arrival of the Romans’ and ‘Henry VIII’ were placed next to
each other.
Q. What points might you make to the teacher?
Pupils and chronology – a way forward
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Use timelines regularly and accurately throughout the
school
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Ensure each timeline develops an understanding of the key
features of chronological understanding, namely:
 Sequence – events in the right order
 Interval – the distance between events
 Duration – how long each event lasted
Examples of good practice included …
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creating a timeline in reverse in the EYFS
constructing a cumulative timeline from Y1 to Y6
displaying a ‘school timeline’ in the main hall or on corridors
painting a timeline in the school playground
using a pre-assembled ‘chronology kit’ – the washing line
ensuring each topic links with previous topics
making comparisons between topics as a matter of course –
change and continuity, similarity and difference
Improving teaching
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Subject expertise
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knowledge
dynamic subject
why history matters
why topics are worth studying
Learning
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rigorous historical enquiry
Historical thinking & understanding
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Historical thinking = ability to investigate, consider, reflect and review
the events of the past
Assessment
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enabling teachers to refine their practice and pupils to build securely on
prior learning
Case Study:
Developing historical thinking
Fox Primary School, London
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Context: a group of pupils in Years 2
and 3 were studying the diary of
Samuel Pepys.
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Discussion: when asked how they
would deal with another diary which
told them something different, their
response was unequivocal.
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Year 3 pupil: ‘That’s ok’, because we
would be able to check what Samuel
Pepys had written’.
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Another pupil added, ‘We would have
another point of view. You know
someone who perhaps lived in another
part of London and so lived life
differently’.
Case Study:
Developing historical thinking – Fox Primary School
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Context: Pupils in Year 5 were
using different types of
evidence when studying
Victorian times.
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Discussion: focused on the
reliability of the sources. They
were acutely aware that a
contemporary painting had to
be treated with care because
‘the people who painted this
got paid so they might have
made it look better than it
really was’.
The constituents of highly effective teaching and
learning
History survey visits
Generic grade descriptors and supplementary
subject-specific guidance for inspectors on making
judgements during visits to schools
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Ofsted, 2010; revised December 2013
Resources
Improving the curriculum
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Acquisition of knowledge and development of chronological
understanding
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Understanding of key historical concepts
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Distinctive and reflects pupils’ needs, interests and aspirations
Development of historical thinking through enquiries
Clarity of rationale and thinking
Assessment which reveals whether aims are being achieved
Increasing level of expectation and challenge to ensure progression in
historical knowledge, thinking and understanding
A balance of appropriate topics across key stages and year groups
Wide range of enrichment activities
How do we know it is highly effective?
Clarity of rationale and thinking
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Why are we teaching, what we are teaching, how we are
teaching it, when we are teaching it?
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What do we want pupils to know, do and understand at the
end that they didn’t know, couldn’t do and didn't understand at
the beginning?
Preparing for the new National
Curriculum from September 2014:
Long Term Planning
The new National Curriculum for history, 2014
Key Stages 1 and 2
From September 2014
Purpose of study
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A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent
knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the
wider world.
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It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past.
Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think
critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective
and judgement.
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History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives,
the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships
between different groups, as well as their own identity and the
challenges of their time.
Aims
The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:
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know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent,
chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day:
how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has
influenced and been influenced by the wider world
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know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider
world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and
dissolution of empires; characteristic
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gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract
terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
Aims - continued
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understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause
and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use
them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame
historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts,
including written narratives and analyses
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understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence
is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why
contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been
constructed
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gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into
different contexts, understanding the connections between local,
regional, national and international history; between cultural,
economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between
short- and long-term timescales.
Attainment targets
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By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and
understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the
programme of study.
Subject Content KS1 - preamble
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Pupils should develop an awareness of the past, using common words
and phrases relating to the passing of time.
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They should
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know where the people and events they study fit within a
chronological framework and identify similarities and differences
between ways of life in different periods.
use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms.
ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and
other sources to show that they know and understand key features
of events.
understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past
and identify different ways in which it is represented.
Subject Content KS1
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changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be
used to reveal aspects of change in national life
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events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally
[for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or
events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
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the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to
national and international achievements. Some should be used to
compare aspects of life in different periods [for example, Elizabeth I
and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong,
William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS
Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison, Mary Seacole and/or Florence
Nightingale and Edith Cavell]
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significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.
Subject Content KS2 - preamble
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Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge
and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear
narratives within and across the periods they study.
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They should
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note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the
appropriate use of historical terms.
regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions
about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and
organisation of relevant historical information.
understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a
range of sources.
Subject content KS2
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British history from earliest times to 1066
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changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the
time of Edward the Confessor
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a local history study
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the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where
and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one
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Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their
influence on the western world
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a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history
a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’
chronological knowledge beyond 1066
Subject content KS2
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a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’
chronological knowledge beyond 1066
Examples (non-statutory)
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the changing power of monarchs using case studies such as John,
Anne and Victoria
changes in an aspect of social history, such as crime and
punishment from the Anglo-Saxons to the present or leisure and
entertainment in the 20th Century
the legacy of Greek or Roman culture (art, architecture or
literature) on later periods in British history, including the present
day
a significant turning point in British history, for example, the first
railways or the Battle of Britain
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National Curriculum comparison maps
http://www.suffolklearning.co.uk/3-11-learning-teaching/curriculum-leadership/nc-2014-update
Curriculum Planning: History
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How are we going to structure our curriculum so that we
strengthen teaching in history and improve pupils’ historical
knowledge and understanding, including their chronological
understanding?
What will your KS1 and 2 curriculum
overview look like?
http://www.history.org.uk/resources/primary_news_2040.html
Autumn
Term 1
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Autumn
Term 2
Spring
Term 1
Spring
Term 2
Summer Summer
Term 1
Term 2
Some points for you to consider – part 1:
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what to teach in history
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how to access the most useful and age-appropriate
resources
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how best to fulfil the expectations of the local history study
when to teach this content
how best to teach this content to develop pupils’ historical
knowledge, understanding (including chronological
understanding) and thinking
how best to develop a study of an aspect or theme in British
history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge
beyond 1066
Some points for you to consider – part 2:
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how to enrich the curriculum and make best use of the
heritage opportunities which are available within the locality
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how best to fulfil the breadth of the stated aims and the
preamble summaries of what pupils should know, do and
understand at each key stage
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the most effective teaching and learning strategies to ensure that
pupils have the opportunity to examine cultural, economic,
military, political, religious and social aspects
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how best to fulfil the requirements of the attainment target.
And never forget …
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‘We like history because we have to think for ourselves and give
reasons for our opinions’ (Year 5 pupil)
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‘History stops people believing rubbish’ (Year 8 student)
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‘History has taught me to read between the lines’ (Year 11 student)
make history …
accessible
meaningful
coherent
achievable
National Lead:
michael.maddison@ofsted.gov.uk